The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-06
Direful Consequences to Young Bud Who
Failed to Take Proper Note of the
Flowers She Wore.
Can Mrs. Langtry and Freddie Gebhard
Enter Society After Their Marriage?
A Question That Is Worrying the Alleged
Minds Of the Murray Hill Swells-
Talents vs. Pedigree.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
New YORK, Feb 5.-The Countess Karaneff
is genuine That is to say, the title legally be-
longs to her, because she is the widow of a real
Russian count who, in the last years of his life
time. was connected with the Russian consulate.
She is no more than thirty, and decidedly pretty.
believe she was by birth Swede. But she has
lived since early childhood in New York, where
Karaneff fell in love with her. She was then
engaged as teacher of languages and other ac-
complishments in the families of some very rich
and fashionable people. Her husband left
fortune to her, and she leads luxurious though
entirely decorous life, spending her winters
usually in the city, and her summers at the
watering places, as fancy dictates. She is this
season seen at the OPERA at the more approved
of the balls, an at the theaters. She wears be-
coming toilets always; her rooms at the Windsor
are beautifully furnished, and, while she ever
keeps safely within the propriety line, still her
ways are strongly characterized by polite eccen-
tricity, by curious. originality. So much by way
Of preface to the story-a true one-that on her
wall hangs water-color portrait of herself, in
which the changeful fashions in dress and adorn-
ments are constantly maintained. The original
was painted by Sartain, and is. lifesize The
Countess is good artist, and her best amuse-
ment is to put new dresses on her counterfeit
presentment As often as once month, for
year or so, she has clothed the full-length figure
anew-anew in painted copies of her own actual
costumes Last summer I saw it dressed in gos-
samery stuffs; in the autumn I viewed her in a
riding habit; just now she appears in an elab-
crate ball toilet; and these only three changes
out of many. Who says that feminine love of
dress is incapable of devoting itself to arta
The latest small but gusty breeze in altitudin
GUS society raised over question of dress.
1t is custom of the semi public balls-those to
which entrance is restricted to acarefully chosen
company-to impart an aspect of seclusion by
having three women pose as hostesses. This
was done on the occasion in question. A trio of
Fifth avenues proudest and most respected
wives co1sented to act. They were to stand in
an ante room Of the large hall, on low plat
form. and bow greetingly to the arriving guests
That is how the thing is done. The first of
these matrons to report fer duty was clad ir
sumptuous brown brocade The second wore
pink satin So far so good. But the third came
crimson-a color that effectually killed the deli
cate pink of her proposed companion. The lat
ter angriy declared that she would not serve.
She was sure that the other had known ali
about the color question. for it had been dis
cussed, and devilishr malignity alone had i'm
| PEELED her to put the destructive red The
| difficulty could not be composed, and 80 two
| matrons received the company, while the third
| mingled with the throne. trying to hide her
anger under q placid surfaca
More aesthetic and delicate was the perturba
| tion of belle at that select ball She was what
| we call a bud-a debutante-a girl in her first
| season Of such amusements. She was slim
| gentle, demrre and very. very sweet. Her cos
| tune was white and simple She was picture
of fragile beauty as she shyly entered the ball
| room, crossed the floor the arm of her dotine
| papa, and sank down into seat. Quick as 9
flash she was on her feet again, with rage spark
ling out from her bright eyes and blush of fury
| reddenng her cheeks She strode out into the
dressing room and madly tore from the puffed
tournure of her gown an embellishments Of
| flowers.
"What on earth is the matterW asked friend
| "Matter enough she pettishiy sobbed. 81 or
dered the most fragrant kind OF roses, so tha,
when I sat on them and crushed them their fra
GRANGE would arise Do you see! But my
stupid maid got the vilest smelling orchids to be
had for love or money-because they were rare
no doubt-and when l sat down and smashed
them fat, just as I'd calculated, no perfume was
scrunched out, but instead an odor like bone
factory, or smudge acid chimney, fairly made
my nose curl. That's what ails me-"
| mt
changeable, but his skin gets transferred nova
days, from his own back to that of the most ultra
| fashionable girls in all Vanity Fair Only few
of these sleek and glistening garments have ye
| been seen in New York, but by the close of this
season the promenade will present the appear
ance of a drove of leopards out for forage. The
leopard skin is so bizarre that year or two
hence all the shop-g girls will wear wraps made o
| dyed cat skins, at So each. AS yet only thos'
who have reduced living to the science of graft
fving their whims are indulging in the luxury o
| making themselves look like slick and shinI
beasts of prey The skins are worn only in shor
wraps, and for one of these, made from choicely
mottled skins in the best style of the best fur
rier you pay at least $500, and just as muci
more as you like. A woman in those black ant
yellow spots may feel her clipper natural self
but she makes you think Of mermaid who ha!
taken to the woods To me there is something
suggestive of rattlesnakes about leopard skin
and if were to wear one of those wraps shout,
feel as if l had been stuffed inside snakes ski
and had the rattle sticking up above my bonnet
But, undoubtedly the leopard is very beauti
full though wicked beast. and his hide has thi
advantage over that of the gentle and long-su
ferng seal, that the woman who wears it il
| twice as conspicuous for three times the distance
| as she would be If she wore the best garment oh
tainablesof that material. At any rate, the ney
whim will give the seals a rest. the people VIII
] catch leopards fresh run OF excitement, an